Spud City marketing potatoes from a range of growing areas

Spud City Sales LLC, based in Stevens Point, WI, regularly markets more than
Wisconsin potatoes. But Tom Lundgren, president of the firm, said that
practice is very true this season.

In a Nov. 11 interview with The Produce News Mr. Lundgren said Spud City
handles Wisconsin potatoes grown by his own affiliated growers "plus several
different growers through state, as well other areas. Now Spud City is involved
in “Colorado and Idaho because of a very short crop. I have [Wisconsin] guys
who will be shipping for the next week or two, when normally they would be
going another month. It is going to be a very interesting summer. The only
place with decent yields and quality this year is Canada and they can can't
supply the whole United States."

Mr. Lundgren underscored that “Wisconsin is very short. Everybody says we
are completely short compared to last year, but you can’t do that. Wisconsin
had record yields, volume and quality last year. It was through the roof.” In
Wisconsin in 2010, “in August and September rain affected the crop and some
was left in the ground. Either they were not able to harvest or it was not worth
harvesting.”

Comparing the 2009 and 2010 Wisconsin potato crops “is not comparing
apples to apples.” Last season “was an incredibly high-yielding year. It’s not
even really relevant to compare the two years.” Mr. Lundgren said Wisconsin
potato growers average 420 to 430 hundredweight bags per acre. This year
the state will average about 400.

The good news for Wisconsin growers is that “prices are very good. Carton
prices have been pretty decent all year long. We have been up against the
Western states.” Mr. Lundgren believes those states could have a market that
is “two bucks higher and still cheaper by dollars” compared to their Eastern
competition.

Still, the “grower index on returns has been decent. I would like to see it a
little bit higher to cover what we are short on yields.”

To fulfill orders this fall, “we will be scrambling. It stinks when it is hard to
find product. Trucks have been a pain this year since day one, and that’s not
only in our area. Colorado, Washington and Idaho are an absolute bear this
year” for finding truck transportation. This is true although “fuel is not
through the roof. It has been a struggle the whole shipping season, so far.”

Wisconsin growers will try to stretch out their potato storage season “as long
as they can.” But selling Colorado potatoes “and finding stuff from Idaho and
Washington makes it that much easier to sell the people with you 12 months
a year. You can’t just say 'I don’t have product and I’ll see you next fall.’ “

Asked for his overall feelings about this season, Mr. Lundgren said, “I wish for
these kinds of prices with good yield year. Then we’d really hit a home run.”

He noted that Wisconsin grower index returns have ranked first of any state
for about a decade.